


The Caramel Macchiato pink-haired guy's Omnipresence

by akhikaru



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Coffee, Community: shoexchange, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2019-05-27 10:39:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15022820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhikaru/pseuds/akhikaru
Summary: Sakurai Sho made the most ridiculous order he could think of at his favorite coffee shop. It turned out to be someone else’s usual order. Of course the guy had pink hair (sorry, “ash violet”). And of course Sho kept seeing him everywhere after that, because of “fate” or something. Whatever, he'd never listen to Aiba ever again.





	The Caramel Macchiato pink-haired guy's Omnipresence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inaudible_d](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inaudible_d/gifts).



> Written for Sho Exchange 2017 (pinch-hit).

"I want a caramel macchiato with almond milk, no sugar, an extra shot of caramel, and extra whipped cream."

Sho blinked. He whipped his head to the side, only to find someone staring back at him. It was a man, probably around his age, with large brown eyes. The man was wearing thick-framed glasses, a burgundy fedora, an oversized cream-colored sweater, a black coat, fitted jeans, and black shoes with what could only be described as tiny pom-poms on top. His hair was dyed light brown, with highlights in some color that looked pinkish under the light.

Of course that was the kind of guy who would order something like that.

Sho wasn't that kind of guy. He wore suits every day except Sundays (because he worked until noon on Saturdays sometimes), and had stopped dying his hair other than a really dark brown ever since he graduated from university. He usually just had a latte (with an extra shot of espresso whenever he had just pulled an all-nighter), accompanied by a slice of cheesecake or a croissant.

Today was different though. Aiba dared him to order the most ridiculous coffee order he could think of as a challenge because, apparently, Sho's routines were "boring" and a little mixing up could do him "real good."

Bullshit. That was what Sho thought of it.

Still, he did just as his energetic best friend suggested. He had promised to upload a selfie to his newly-created Instagram account (yet another result of his inability to say no to Aiba) once he bought the ridiculous, fancy coffee. The last thing he had expected was that someone would order the exact same long-ass drink at the same time he did.

What were the odds, seriously?

The other man seemed to be just as surprised as Sho was. He looked at Sho with his lips slightly parted, like he wanted to say something. He ended up closing his mouth again, gnawing on his lower lip as his cheeks and ears tinted pink. The action let Sho see a mole under the man's lip, aligned perfectly with another two located on the upper lip.

 _Whoever he is, he is really cute,_  Sho thought.

They exchanged sheepish smiles as the very amused barista took note of their orders. They paid, and then stood awkwardly side by side as they waited for their drinks. Sho sneaked a glance at the man from the corner of his eye. His face colored when he noticed that the man was doing the same.

"Here you are," the young woman who handed them their drinks said.

Sho thanked her, grabbed the cup, and left as fast as his legs allowed him to. His office was nearby, so it didn't take long for him to get there.

Once inside, he took a selfie with his drink, uploaded it (with the hashtag: 'the things I do for Aiba'), and proceeded to down it.

"Sweet," he mumbled to himself with a small smile. He frowned when he saw something written on the cup with a marker.

_We don't meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our paths for a reason._

Sho snorted. It sounded just like one of those cheesy quotes that Aiba sent him on social media from time to time, written in flowery typography on top of an even more flowery pattern or the photo of a landscape.

Bullshit, really.

He finished the drink, tossed the cup in a trash bin, and told himself to just forget about it.

Later, when he went out for lunch, he saw someone wearing a burgundy fedora. The disappointment he felt once he noticed it wasn't the same man from the coffee shop was…

Wait, why was he disappointed?

He shook his head. This was all Aiba's fault. He'd never listen to Aiba's suggestions again.

 

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here? The other tables are full."

Sho looked up from his newspaper, only to find someone who looked… strangely familiar.  
Light brown and pinkish hair, a fedora, glasses with thick frames, three moles on the lips, a cup of coffee on the tray with a mountain of whipped cream…

_Oh._

Unable to find any words at the moment, Sho merely nodded his head in response. The other man beamed at him and took a seat. Sho tried to focus on what he was reading, but he couldn't help sneaking glances at the man.

Surprisingly, the man was staring back at him.

They didn't exchange any other words that day.

 

During a whole week, the same man sat next to Sho every morning. He seemed to own an endless collection of hats and glasses, and he had pom-pom shoes in at least three different colors. After the third time they sat together, the man stopped asking for Sho's permission to join him at the table. They didn't talk, but somehow it didn't feel necessary.

Well, that was what Sho thought about it.

"Wait, so you don't even know his name?"

"Yeah."

Aiba's shrill exclamation of "What!" made a few people turn their heads in their direction. One of the waiters gave him a disapproving glance. Aiba simply flashed a smile at her, which seemed to be enough for her to forgive him—how the heck did he always get away with things just like that?

"Why haven't you asked his name?" Aiba asked, this time in a lower tone.

Sho shrugged. "I don't know. He's never asked mine either, so I guessed he wasn't looking for a conversation. Maybe he just doesn't like sitting by himself?"

"Maybe…" Aiba rested his chin on his hand, a pensive expression on his face. "Still, shouldn't you at least try to ask him? It's basic manners, Sho-chan!"

"Eh? Why should  _I_  do it?" Sho pouted. He stuffed his mouth with a large piece of steak. "This is so delicious!"

"Well, someone has to make the first step!" Aiba exclaimed. "Who knows, maybe this could lead to something good, don't you think?" He wiggled his eyebrows, smirking at Sho.

Trust Aiba to make a comment like that. Sho shook his head and continued eating as Aiba rambled about destiny and meeting your true love. Sho wasn't really paying much attention to him. He was just thankful that Aiba's chattiness gave him a chance to keep ordering more food. Aiba said he was footing the bill as an early Christmas gift for Sho since he wouldn't be available the whole weekend. And, well, Sho would never say no to a free meal. He silently thanked whatever or whoever had gotten Aiba in such a great mood (he suspected it was Yokoyama from HR, but he wasn't going to mention it).

As Sho was chewing on a meatball, he caught sight of a familiar face from the corner of his eye. He turned in that direction, eyes widening.

_The pink-haired guy from the coffee shop!_

This time the guy wasn't wearing a hat. His hair was neatly combed to the side, and he wasn't wearing his glasses. For the first time, Sho noticed the man's rather thick eyebrows, which gave his face a serious expression. He was wearing a black suit, black shirt, and dark red tie. The outfit emphasized his elegant figure: broad shoulders, slim waist, wonderful long legs.

"Sho-chan! You got sauce all over your face!"

Sho blinked. Then he blushed when he realized that he had been ogling openly at the man… with his mouth stuffed… and sauce all over his face…

And now the man was staring back at him, an amused expression on his face.

_Shit, why now!_

The man continued his way to his table, not without throwing Sho a last glance over his shoulder.

"Sho-chan! Clean yourself, come on!"

Aiba thrust a napkin into Sho's hands, chiding him for getting distracted during their meal.

Meanwhile, Sho wondered what he'd do the next time he went to the coffee shop.

 

"Sho-san?"

Sho stiffened when he heard a man talking next to him.  _Damn it, he's here!_  "Y-Yes?" he stuttered, giving the man a small smile.

"Ah, so it was really you that day!" The man laughed, sliding into his seat with a smug expression. He was wearing a beanie this time, his forehead and ears completely exposed. He wasn't wearing glasses this time either. It was somehow harder to look at him like that.

"I heard your friend at the restaurant calling you 'Sho-chan', so I assumed your name is Sho," the man continued, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's not that I was eavesdropping or anything. He's just very… umm…"

"He's loud," Sho completed, chuckling.

"Yes, exactly," the man said with a little laugh. "Anyway, I… I just realized that we actually never introduced ourselves."

"Oh…" Sho nodded. There was a short moment of silence, and the man looked away. Sho cleared his throat. "Well… it's never too late," he said. "I'm Sakurai Sho."

The man smiled widely. "Matsumoto Jun," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, Matsumoto-san. Even if this technically isn't the first time we meet," Sho said.

"True." Jun laughed.

Their conversation that morning was so long that Sho was almost late to his meeting.

 

"You didn't ask for his phone number?"

"No."

Aiba looked like he wanted to strangle Sho. It was the first day they met after the holidays. That morning Aiba had arrived with Yokoyama in tow, so he had been in an extra happy mood the entire morning.

That was until Sho told him about his last meeting with Jun before the holidays started.

"Why? Come on, Sho-chan!" Aiba whined. "That was the perfect chance to ask. Perfect chance!"

Sho shrugged. "I just forgot to do it."

"This is so frustrating!" Aiba grumbled. "Oh-chan, isn't he frustrating?"

Ohno, who had been listening intently to their conversation despite looking like he was about to fall asleep, only laughed. "Just let him be, Aiba-chan."

"But this way he'll never get a boyfriend!" Aiba whined.

"Sho-chan will get a boyfriend when it's the right timing," Ohno replied. "He's still young. There's no need to rush things."

"He's turning thirty-five, Oh-chan. Thirty-five!"

"So what? I'm thirty-six and I'm not in a relationship either!" Ohno pouted.

While the two of them talked, Sho simply stared out of the window. It had been a while since the last time he saw Jun. He hoped that Jun was doing okay, wherever he was.

 

Almost a week later, Sho met Jun again.

It was on a Sunday morning. Sho had gone out to do some grocery shopping because his sister insisted that he couldn't continue relying on convenience store bentos to survive. He mentioned that most times he actually ate at restaurants, but that hadn't been a satisfying answer either.

So here he was now, following his sister around with a shopping cart. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy cooking or grocery shopping, it was just that he wasn't very good at it. Besides, he didn't have much time to do it properly (and with his skills, that required a couple of hours).

"Practice makes perfect, nii-chan," Sho's sister said for the nth time that day. Sho just rolled his eyes and followed her to the fruits and vegetables aisle.

While she was busy, he just watched the other people.  _She better not get any cilantro,_  Sho huffed. He had no idea how people could swallow that without puking.

"Excuse me, could you move your cart to the side?"

Sho turned once he heard the voice behind him. He found Jun there, scowling at him and tapping his foot impatiently. He hadn't styled his hair as usual, and he was wearing his glasses. He looked tired though, two dark circles right under his eyes.

"Matsumoto-san! It's been a while!" Sho greeted him.

Jun's scowl turned into a smile. "Hey! Wouldn't have expected to see you here, Sho-san."

"I live a few blocks away from here," Sho explained. "I don't do much grocery shopping though. Can't cook very well."

Jun arched an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Last time I did it, I almost set an omelette on fire. It turned out pretty tasty though," Sho said.

Jun snorted. "Not sure if I should believe that."

"It did!" Sho insisted.

Jun laughed as he continued picking his vegetables.

Sho smiled at that. He had missed seeing Jun.

Their little conversation was put to an end when Sho's sister returned, lecturing him for getting distracted.

They said goodbye and went their separate ways.

As he was going back home, Sho realized that he hadn't asked for Jun's number this time either.

 

"Why haven't you come these past few weeks?"

Jun looked up from the book he was reading. His usual macchiato had probably gone cold already, and the scone he had ordered was still untouched. It made Sho curious about the book. Must be good if Jun was so engrossed in it.

"I was working on a special project," Jun said. "I work in advertising. The deadline was coming, and our client kept changing his mind about the design over and over again… it was really stressful."

"Ah yes…" Sho sighed. "I used to work in advertising. Didn't like it that much, so I transferred to another department. I'm in sales now."

Jun nodded and took a sip of his drink. He grimaced. "Cold."

Sho laughed. "It's your fault for getting distracted. What's that book about anyway?"

"It's  _Coin Locker Babies,_ " Jun said. "I've read it before, but I really like it. This one is the first edition. Got it as a present from a friend."

"Nice," Sho said.

"Yeah, I found it weird. That guy doesn't ever give me anything unless he's planning something behind my back," Jun commented with a laugh. "Been wondering what it is since Christmas."

Jun continued talking about his friend 'Nino' for another few minutes. Then he had to leave because Nino called him.

Sho didn't mind.

He barely knew Jun anyway, he couldn't be jealous.

Could he?

 

Jun's hair wasn't pink anymore the next time they met. They weren't at the coffee shop either.

Aiba had convinced both Ohno and Sho to take a cardio cycling class with him. He picked them up at their respective apartments very early to go to the gym. Sho didn't mind it, he loved working out, but Ohno hadn't stopped complaining on the way there.

"Why can't you just come with Sho-chan?" Ohno whined.

"Because you need to get out more," Aiba said, tapping Ohno's chest with his finger. "We both know that the only time you do something aside from sleeping on your couch during your free time is in summer, and there are a few months to go before that! Now let's get in!"

Ohno was still pouting when they went to choose their bicycles. Aiba made him take the one between his and Sho's, arguing that he would try to escape if they didn't watch him. Sho really pitied him at the moment. He knew how intense Aiba could be about the activities he planned for the three of them.

"Sho-san?"

Jun was standing by the bicycle right next to Sho's. He was wearing black sweatpants and a white t-shirt. His hair was pushed back, and he wasn't wearing glasses.

"Matsumoto-san," Sho greeted with a smile.

A short man then tapped Jun's shoulder. "I changed my mind. I'm not doing this, Jun-pon. Sorry."

Jun turned to face the man with a frown. "You promised, Nino."

 _Ah, so that's Nino…_  Sho observed the short man. He looked way younger than Jun or him (although he was older than Jun, from what Sho remembered of their conversation). The t-shirt he was wearing seemed two sizes too big for him, and he looked like he really,  _really_  didn't want to be there.

Sho let them continue their conversation without interrupting. The instructor had just arrived anyway.

 

Three days later, he was alone at the club.

He felt like drinking that night, but neither Aiba nor Ohno was free, so he ended up going by himself. He didn't mind it though. It wouldn't be the first or the last time he did so.

Valentine's Day had just passed. Just like every year, he got asked about whether he had a date or not for that day. The answer, as usual, was no. He wasn't that desperate to just get a date so that people wouldn't think he was lonely. There wasn't anyone he wanted to ask out either.

Or was there?

"You should have asked your pink hair guy out," Aiba had told him. And then he had proceeded to lecture him for  _still_  not getting Jun's phone number. Sho had accused him of sounding worse than his mother every time they had the conversation about Sho not giving her grandchildren.

"We just want the best for you, Sho-chan," Ohno had said. "You keep running into this guy everywhere! Don't you think that could be a sign?"

 _Bullshit,_  Sho thought to himself as he sipped his scotch. He closed his eyes and focused on the music. The club's jazz band was simply fantastic. He could listen to them all day long. It was better than trying to think about whatever was happening to him with Jun. He wondered why thinking a guy he barely knew made him feel so frustrated.

Perhaps it was that. He  _barely_  knew Jun, and that didn't feel right. He wanted to know more, to have a proper talk with him, ask him about his life, what he liked, what he didn't like. And more than anything, he wanted to know whether Jun felt the same way. Did he also think of Sho? Did he want more too?

 _I'm being ridiculous,_  Sho shook his head.

"You know, with all the times we meet without planning it, I'm starting to think you might be stalking me."

Sho's eyes fluttered open. He didn't know when or how it happened, but Jun was sitting next to him. "Matsumoto-san…"

Jun clicked his tongue. "I've been wondering for a while if you've forgotten my name, Sho-san. It's  _Jun._ Much shorter and easier to pronounce than 'Matsumoto', don't you think?"

"I know," Sho said. "I just… I usually call people by their last names."

"Really? Pretty sure you called the guy who was with you at the gym 'Satoshi-kun'," Jun replied. He was frowning.

"He's been my friend since high school," Sho said.

"Just a  _friend?_ "

Sho looked at Jun with a puzzled expression. "Yeah, why?"

"You guys seemed to be more than friendly to me that day," Jun said. "Hugging in front of everyone and touching each other…"

"So?"

Jun narrowed his eyes at Sho. He didn't say anything else and simply finished his drink. Sho didn't know how to break the silence between them, so he didn't say anything either. For the first time, he felt tense around Jun.

Why was it?

The sound of a glass being slammed against the table brought his attention back to Jun. "This won't work," Jun mumbled.

"What?"

Jun bit his lip. "I ruined the moment. This won't work now."

Sho blinked. What the heck was he talking about?

"Nino said I had to go for it the next time I saw you, but I don't know how to do this," Jun continued. "I mean, I have done this before many times… well, not  _that_  many, but this isn't the first, you know? And it was so much easier! I just… this is your fault!"

"Eh?"

"Yes, it's your fault!" Jun pointed a finger accusatorily at Sho. "You make me feel nervous."

"What! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Exactly!" Jun snapped. "You.. you don't… you're not interested…"

 _Interested?_  Sho frowned. Interested in what? Any why would Jun be nervous about Sho not being interested?

_Oh._

He couldn't help laughing. Jun's face turned red.

"You –"

Sho gave him a peck on the lips to shut him up.

They continued kissing for a while.

That night, Sho finally got Jun's phone number. Jun saved it as  _'Massan'_  (Sho had suggested _Macchan,_  but Jun had glared at him for it).

It had turned out better than he expected.

 

"I want two caramel macchiatos with almond milk, no sugar, an extra shot of caramel, and extra whipped cream. And two egg sandwiches, please."

Sho waited impatiently in front of the counter as the barista got his order ready. It took only a few minutes, during which he kept sneaking glances at his watch. He wasn't late, he  _never_  was. Still, he only had a little more time to find the perfect table for them to sit and there were many factors to consider! Tables by the window were the best: more privacy, great view, wider space. However, it was sunny outside, so he had to find an angle where the light didn't hit them directly. He also had to consider the ventilation, the distance between the table and the entrance door (he actually preferred to sit as far from it as he could, but what if Jun didn't see him? He wasn't going to risk it), the number of vacant tables around it…

Yes, he was freaking out.

How could he not? This was their first time they would be meeting somewhere  _on purpose._  It had taken all of Sho's courage to text Jun last night, telling him to meet him here at this precise hour. He only had one shot at this, and he wanted it to be perfect.

"Sir, your order."

Sho blinked. "Excuse me?"

The barista gave Sho a light chuckle and slid a tray towards him on the counter. "Your order is ready," the man said.

"Oh! Thank you," Sho replied, flashing him an apologetic smile. He then turned, holding the tray in his hands, looking for the perfect spot.

It took him ten seconds to find it.

The third table counting from the door, right next to the window. The two tables right next to it were occupied, and it was facing the sun directly, but Sho was willing to overlook that. Anything as long as he got to sit across the man who was currently occupying it (and hiding behind his book to make it seem like he wasn't staring at Sho just a moment before).

Holding back a giggle, Sho walked to the table confidently. He cleared his throat when he stood right in front of it (not that it was necessary, really).

Jun looked up at him with wide eyes, pretending to be surprised. "Sho-kun! I hadn't seen you!" he said, giving Sho a wide smile.

"Liar," Sho said, setting the tray on the table. "I know you were watching me,  _Massan._ "

The tips of Jun's ears turned pink. He didn't say anything to confirm or deny Sho's statement and instead busied himself with shoving his book back inside his tote bag.

"So, what did you order for us?" Jun asked, still not glancing up at Sho.

"Your usual," Sho said. He laughed when Jun finally looked up, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"You remembered it?"

Sho nodded. "We met because of this drink after all."

A sheepish smile found its way to Jun's face, and Sho was suddenly reminded of the expression he had the first time they met. Perhaps it really had been fate what happened that day, Sho thought as Jun reached for his hand over the table.

It was too early to tell, he decided, lacing his fingers with Jun's.

"So... dyed it again?" Sho pointed at Jun's hair.

"Yeah," Jun replied, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. "Got bored of brown."

Sho hummed. "Back to pink then."

"It's  _ash violet,_ " Jun corrected.

"Of course it is," Sho replied with a snort.

"Shut up."


End file.
